HELP!!!! I'm thinking of buying an '02-03 Liberty

[AnthologyCT]

Hey fellas,

I'm new to the forum, and thinking of buying a used 02-03 Liberty.

I plan to buy within the next 6 weeks. If I can get a 4x2, that would be great, as I don't plan to do any off-roading whatsoever.

According to Edmonds and others, its reliability is supposed to be solid.

However, I've heard and read quite a bit about:
* ball joints
* transfer cases
* skidding terribly on wet pavement

Can somebody clue me in? I've read quite a bit about all three being issues. I'm most concerned about the skidding part .......... I know the Jeeps heart is built for off-road ........ so could that have to do with the tires?

Also, do you guys know of any other particular watch-outs I should be concerned with in the Liberty?????

Please help .......... I'd like to make an informed decision.

Lastly, what's the absolute rock-bottom price I could expect to pay for an 02-03 Liberty Limited with between 50-70K miles?


Thanking you in advance,
AnthologyCT

 

[Marlon_JB2]

We're both in Detroit (Well at least I really am in Detroit...). Did you forget winter? lol3.gif You may not even find a 4x2. Get a 4x4.

Skidding on wet pavement is due to the tires. They're alright when they're new, but put some miles on them and you can forget it. A good All Season or All Terrain will be perfect. See tirerack.com and look at their reviews. I just recently saw a '05ish Liberty Limited pull into a tire shop. Bet it was for new rubber, hehehe.

I can't think of anything besides of ball joints to look out for.... that's about the most (and only!) common defective Libby-trait. Everything else is solid!

 

[jfortier777]

* ball joints
* transfer cases
* skidding terribly on wet pavement

Can somebody clue me in? I've read quite a bit about all three being issues. I'm most concerned about the skidding part .......... I know the Jeeps heart is built for off-road ........ so could that have to do with the tires?

*Yeah the balljoints suck but you can replace them with aftermarket if you feel the need. Otherwise you just need to check them regularly and then take action if/when they go bad.

*I am not familiar with any commonly recurring problem with our t-cases; maybe someone else can shed some light on this? Not that I wouldn't like to have a tougher one to support my SFA. 8-[

*Like Marlon said, skidding has little to do with the vehicle and lots to do with your personal tire choice. The stock tires are terrible so I can see why a rumor like that could get around, but a nice healthy set of All Terrain tires would do a great job of keeping you attached to the pavement. (I recommend the General Grabbers, since you aren't going offroad.) I would say that you should get some good street tires since you arent going offroad; but that would be a mistake come winter. As a fellow detroit native I know you wont enjoy have a 2wd liberty during michigan winter. But if its the higher fuel economy you are shooting for than there is no reason for you to spin a front diff for the rest of the year just to use it in winter.

But then you really defeat the purpose of having a liberty in the first place. Why not just pick up a nice little honda that will get you 35mpg, you could probably even get one with AWD that still gets 30-ish and would give you good traction even in winter.

Anyway, hope it all works out for ya

(biggthumpup)

 

[2003KJ]

The balljoints and tires have pretty much been covered in the above replies. I will say I had to replace my goodyears (commonly referred to as crapyears or good-for-a-year's) last thanksgiving....my KJ only had about 24-25K if i remember correctly. I've always rotated and balanced my tires on every other oil change, even more if necessary.

As far as the t-case goes, I think you are referring to a member on here who recently complained about his leaking almost right out of the factory. I can gaurntee you thats a fluke. The NP231 (command-trac with no full time 4x4 option) and the NP242(selec-trac WITH the full time 4x4 that can be used any time) are the same ones that are found in the late Cherokee XJ.....god knows how long those things have been around, so I think it's safe to say that they're pretty damn reliable.

As far as price goes, it really all depends. The determining factors include what trim (sport, limited, renegade, or columbia - rock mtn. edition) and milage. I would think an 02-03 SHOULD average no more than $11-12K at MOST. Would you be trading in another vehicle towards the Jeep? That can help nock the price down a bit. Plus it never hurts to haggle a bit.

 

[maureen58]

That's right, the ball joints have been covered, however check to make sure the ball joints were done on recall. It sounds like after that any problems will be taken care or. I have an'05 and if it is recalled I want to look at the Moogs. The transfer case of a 4 X 2 is a non factor since it has none. However living in Detroit I would highly recommend a 4 X 4 with all your snow etc. Get a Select trac, it is reliable, been around for a long time and also the most versitile 4 X 4 system out there. As for tires, I agree most of the OEM Goodyear tires are not so good. The Liberty fishtails because of its powerful engine and short wheelbase. If you are doing mostly highway, I would recommend the Goodyear Fortera tires. I have them on mine and they are great all-season tires. Good in the rain but only so-so in snow, but that is where 4X 4 comes in. I've also read that the Firestone Destination tires are good. Remember if you go more for the off-road tires such as Bridgestone Revos you will pick up more tire noise.

 

[Corwyyn]

However, I've heard and read quite a bit about:
* ball joints
* transfer cases
* skidding terribly on wet pavement

OK, ball joints have been covered, 'nuf said.

As for the t-case, I think he is talking about some people having theirs fail on the trail due to splitting of the aluminum case. Seems the main factor in this is having a tire go from spinning freely to getting good traction in a short amount of time (i.e. less than a second). It is mostly an issue when people lift the KJ and put larger tires on it. As mentioned above if you do get a 4x2 it won't be an issue, and if you do get a 4x4 it should only be a concern if you are going to heavily mod it.

Tires, yeah the stock goodyears are IMHO not worth the rubber they're made with. I'd swap 'em out ASAP with something better.

 

[kspageddie]

I just bought a 2003 Liberty Sport 4x4 33,000 miles. 3.7 auto for 13,000.00 here in Columbus Ohio. Hopefully, that helps gauge prices.